


Principles of Chase

by sassandpanache



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Detective Noir, Frottage, Gangs, Hand Jobs, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2020-12-17 00:21:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21045194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassandpanache/pseuds/sassandpanache
Summary: Rhett McLaughlin is a hardened, brilliant private investigator. A disappearance, however, leads to things he never would have expected.





	1. Chapter 1

The summer air felt heavy in Rhett’s office. The fan shifted lazily, blowing the humidity around rather than doing anything to alleviate the discomfort. Rhett sat at his desk, jacket off and tie loosened. His suspenders were still in place, but his shirtsleeves were rolled up and the sweat made his attire practically see-through, revealing the outline of his undershirt. His pompadour was unkempt from its usual tight style and a few curls fell onto his forehead. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he reviewed the photographs. A case of blackmail and—with the photographs—counter blackmail.

Rhett sighed. The private investigation business wasn’t what it was all cracked up to be with cases like these. Sure, he was damn good at his job. Had earned a solid reputation in this town for his discretion in more delicate matters. But he liked a puzzle; not this surveillance crap. He needed something more.

What he didn’t expect was the ‘more’ knocking on his office door right then and there. It rang out sharply.

“Yeah?” Rhett said gruffly as he placed his cigarette in the ashtray.

The door cracked open, and a head poked in. Rhett looked up and found himself immediately drowning in the cerulean pools staring back at him. He had never seen eyes so blue, and was certain he never would again. They were framed by a smart pair of wire-rimmed glasses; a head of lush salt-streaked hair perfectly coiffed up completed the first impression.

“A—Are you Rhett McLaughlin?” the man asked, his voice breaking a bit.

“Name’s on the door, innit?” Rhett also had another reputation. His apparent ease at resisting the charms of the random _ femme fatale _ also set tongues wagging, but his physical presence and surly demeanor helped keep any trouble at bay. Made it easier to stay professional and weed unsavory clients out of his hair.

The man pulled himself fully into the office and shut the door behind him. Rhett eyed up and down to get a full read on the one who now stood before him.

Whatever thoughts Rhett initially had about the bluest eyes he’d ever seen were amplified by the sharp, midnight suit that hugged the lines and planes of the slender man. Broad shoulders led to a trim waist and hips Rhett wouldn’t have minded to have between his hands in that moment. Brown wingtip shoes were polished and practically immaculate, and in his hands was a fedora, its brim on the receiving end of the man’s nerves. 

Rhett’s eyes snapped back up to his face, noticing that he also seemed to be forming his first impression of the P.I. while worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. He imagined worrying that bottom lip between his own teeth, but shook himself out of the fantasy quickly. This was a potential case.

“How can I help you, Mister…?”

“Neal. Charles Neal. I, uh, don’t know where else to go. My cousin, Chase, is missing." 

Rhett sat a little straighter. Missing persons cases found their way to him once in a while. There were two rival crime syndicates in town, the Beasts and the Randlers, responsible for most of the work that came across Rhett’s desk in some way, shape, or form. The Beasts made their name with illegal gambling while the Randlers knew all about money laundering. They had a tenuous partnership, each side content to let the other do their thing as long as it didn’t infringe on the other. Through all of his cases, there was plenty of opportunity to meet folks from both gangs, and even be friendly with a select few. In Rhett’s line of business, it was hard to avoid them and even harder not to develop some working relationships to get some information. But usually, the people who were coming to look for someone were unaware of their loved ones’ connections to one of these gangs.

“Police were no help?” Rhett asked, as he motioned to the chair in front of him. Charles took the seat hesitantly, as he seemingly examined the office and Rhett further.

“Um, no. He hasn’t been gone long, and once I mentioned where he was when he went missing, they laughed.”

“Where was he?”

“The Greasy Spork.”

Rhett sighed. Josh’s diner. Of course. It was considered Switzerland for both gangs, but that didn’t mean trouble didn’t brew there. “What was he doing there?”

“He said he was meeting a friend. He seemed really nervous. But he said it was important to go. He said he was ‘trying to do the right thing’.” Charles’ eyes widened momentarily when he leaned forward and whispered as if the walls had ears. “I think he had some information.”

“Mr. Neal, I have to ask. Is Chase involved with one of the crime groups in town?”

“No, but I know he has friends who I’ve seen in the paper,” Charles sniffed. “It’s those associations that made it nearly impossible for me to get him a job where I work.”

“Where do you work?”

“National Bank. I am the senior loan officer,” Charles said, puffing out his chest a bit.

“Settle down there, buddyroll. I didn’t ask _ what _ you did.”

Charles’ mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. Rhett had dealt with folks before that were as full of themselves as this guy, and he had very little patience for them. If anything, he liked taking them down a peg or two. They never wanted for anything, while Rhett struggled to rub two pennies together. His lips formed a tight smile as Charles’ gaze firmed up and locked on Rhett’s face.

“Be that as it may,” Charles said tightly, “Chase is still missing. He went to a diner that’s fairly well known for catering to more unsavory types. He seemed nervous. He’s now missing. What more do you want?” 

Rhett stayed motionless, leaning back in his chair, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at this man’s theatrics. “First of all, you’re right. The peach pie at the Spork is sweet rather than savory, but damn delicious.” Charles bristled a bit at Rhett’s impudence, but Rhett pushed on. “You mentioned information. What kind of information?”

“He mentioned something about some irregularities in the shipping manifest at the pier. He works there, doing maintenance." 

“Why wouldn’t he take the information to the police if he’s not involved?”

“I don’t know. Some kind of loyalty, perhaps? While I don’t appreciate their influence on young Chase, they were there for him after his dear mother passed. Perhaps more so than I was,” Charles trailed off, looking chagrined. 

Rhett felt a pang of sympathy. It was never the same when loved ones of those missing came in. Some wailed and beat their chests in grand displays of grief; others remained stoic in the face of hard emotion. Charles seemed to walk the line of maintaining a facade of strength while guilt ate away at it.

“What are the names of some of those… what’d you call them? ‘Unsavory types’?” Rhett asked, grabbing his pen. 

Charles’ eyes snapped up, and the venom coursing through them was evident. “Listen. It’s not easy for me to admit my cousin has fallen in with this crowd, but you could be a little more patient and less of an asshole, all right?” Rhett held up his hands in mock surrender. Charles sighed before continuing. “I don’t know their last names. I know...Jen? And Morgan?”

_ The Beasts, _Rhett thought. He took the names down and picked up his cigarette, taking a drag as he regarded the man in front of him. There was no question Charles was attractive. Rhett could easily imagine having a good time with him physically, but that personality—that was bordering on irritating. He weighed the pros and cons of going into business with someone such as Charles Neal. Suddenly, Charles shifted in his seat, as if he knew Rhett was considering turning him out without taking the case. 

“I know you have no reason to help. God knows how dangerous it could be if the gangs are involved. But he’s my cousin. He’s my only family. Things have been strained since his mother passed and that’s on me. But I can do _ this _ right. He can be found. And you can be the one who does it.”

One last look at the imploring blue eyes sealed the deal.

“All right, Mr. Neal. I’ll take the case.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was mid-morning when Rhett entered the Greasy Spork. The bell tinkled as the door came to a close and he surveyed the room on his walk to the counter. The usual folks from each of the gangs were there, having a bite to eat after a long night of work. A few other locals peppered the booths, too; folks, like Rhett, unafraid of the patrons and with no reason to be there other than to enjoy the food.

The cook and owner, Josh, was a good kid. He got the diner from his pops after he’d died, and Josh turned it into something slightly more palatable. He had his dad’s no nonsense demeanor, though—anyone from the Beasts or the Randlers who tried to start something in his restaurant found themselves facing consequences no one wanted to be privy to. The restaurant was neutral, and all parties respected it or else faced the consequences. 

Rhett sat down as Emily, the waitress, poured him a cup of coffee. “Hey, Stretch,” she said, smiling. Her red hair seemed brighter against the baby blue of her work uniform and her white teeth shone from between two fire engine red lips. “The usual?”

“Yeah, thanks, Em,” Rhett said with a weary smile. “Josh around?”

“Sure. I’ll grab him.”

Rhett stirred a little cream in his coffee as he waited for Josh. Being the bachelor he was, Rhett was a regular fixture at The Greasy Spork. He gave a small salute to Jordan, who was bussing tables and cracking jokes with some of the Randlers. Rhett turned his head to the other side of the restaurant, where the Beasts set up shop. Sitting in one of the booths was Morgan, one of the names from Charles’ briefing. He was the quieter of the two on the list, but it was something that Rhett could follow up on now before heading to the gym to find Jen.

“How’s it going, McLaughlin?” Rhett turned toward the direction of the voice. Seated next to him was Josh, prepping his own coffee and seemingly steeling himself for what might be coming. 

“Not too bad, Josh. How’s business?”

“Good. Quiet. Which makes me wonder why you’re here, boss.”

“Can’t a guy just have a cup of coffee and catch up with his favorite cook in the city?”

“Aren’t you the flatterer?” Josh chuckled, but the faint pink was noticeable in his cheeks. “What are you looking for?”

“It’s not so much of a ‘what’ as it is a ‘who’. Chase Hilt. You’ve seen him around?”

Josh’s eyes went soft for a split second. It would have been imperceptible to anyone but Rhett, who was watching like a hawk. Josh looked forward, away from the detective.

“Yeah, I saw him a few days ago.”

“Here.”

“No.”

“Come on, Josh. The kid’s missing.”

Josh’s head swiveled to Rhett. “‘Missing’? Says who?”

“His cousin. Hired me to find him.”

Josh pulled a face. “You’re telling me that asshole finally  _ cares _ about Chase?”

Rhett shrugged as the corners of his mouth pulled down. “Seemed pretty broken up about the kid. Wants to find him; do right by him.”

Josh fiddled with the sugar shaker in front of him. “You know, when Chase’s mom passed away, the bastard barely helped. Chase had to move out of the house because the bank took it back. Guess which bank? That would have been a better time to do right by your family.”

Rhett mentally tucked away the information to examine another time and plowed forward. “Be that as it may, the guy wants his cousin found. So if you saw him, but it wasn’t here… where was it?”

Josh’s cheeks regained their tinge of pink, but his ears turned a lovely shade of red. He started straightening things on the counter to busy his hands, looking anywhere but at the man sitting to his left. Rhett lazily blinked as he processed what was being unsaid. He sighed and shifted closer to the now nervous cook.

“Where?” Rhett whispered, and Josh stilled.

“My place. Two nights ago. He, uh, he left at 2:00 that morning,” Josh whispered back. This was definitely more serious than some covert hookup. Rhett could tell how much Josh cared with his willingness to talk. He usually never did.

“How did he seem?”

“Pretty damn happy, if I do say so myself,” Josh admitted, winking. Rhett smiled and turned to his coffee.

“Was he nervous at all?”

“No. He was here hanging out with Jen until closing. They seemed to be having a good time.”

“Is there any way he could have some kind of information on one of the gangs?”

Josh turned to look at Rhett like he had grown horns. The picture being painted of Chase was one wildly different than the likeness Charles Neal had offered in Rhett's office last night.

“No. Chase keeps out of the business of these guys. He’s friends with them, sure, but there are more important things to him than to be under the thumb of people like Flanagan or Punch. He’s learned to toe the line, but never cross—not if he wants to keep what he’s got.”

“And what’s that, Josh?” Rhett smirked, knowing full well the answer wasn’t going to come. Josh gave him a look that could melt metal, but it softened.

“Whatever Neal’s paying you, I’ll double it. Find him. Please.” With that, Josh got up from the table as Emily appeared with Rhett’s breakfast. Rhett’s eyebrows went up as Josh walked back into the kitchen. He tucked into his meal while he considered who Chase Hilt might actually be, and what he was up against.

Josh had mentioned Flanagan and Punch specifically. Flanagan was the leader of the Beasts. He had a business head on his shoulders and through his leadership, was able to establish gambling dens throughout town. They were hard to identify; people enjoyed these places and rarely snitched as to where they were. Flanagan was quiet and methodical, but it was that nature that had made Rhett realize there was a bit of a pattern as to where these places liked to take root and move when needed. He wasn’t about to expose that little tidbit of information. Leave it to human nature to ruin what was believed to be a foolproof system. 

Punch led the Randlers. He was the complete antithesis to Flanagan in personality, but matched him point-for-point in business acumen. Marks went to Punch for the mystery of how the Randlers had a lower conviction rate than the Beasts. It was harder to pin down the Randlers’ money laundering scheme, and that had a tendency to make Punch cocky in meetings and dealings with the police. 

As Rhett finished up his meal, Emily came over with a coffee refill and Jordan grabbed his plate. Rhett looked at both of them. They were a dynamic pair, and Rhett suspected there might be more beyond a working relationship with them, but never bothered to ask.

“Food’s on the house, Stretch. Josh’s treat,” Emily said as she cast a look at Jordan. Jordan gave a sharp nod and looked at Rhett. 

“We couldn’t help but overhear that Chase went missing,” Jordan said quietly, so as not to alert anyone to the conversation. 

Rhett considered both of them. “Yeah, he disappeared two nights ago. When’d you last see him?”

“Here. He waited for Josh to lock up and headed upstairs to Josh’s place with him. Jordan escorted me home,” Emily said, a small smile in Jordan’s direction.

“Chase is a good kid, Rhett,” Jordan added. “He’s kind to everyone, no matter affiliation. And his…  _ friendship  _ with Josh makes the boss happy.”

“Is he involved with one of these groups, and Josh doesn’t know it?” Rhett asked.

“No way,” Emily said emphatically. “He’s a sweet guy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’ve heard him talking to some of his friends and they never seem to talk about what they do. They talk about movies they’ve gone to see. Things like that.”

Rhett nodded slowly as he took in the concerned faces in front of him. “Thanks, you two,” he said. “I’ll do my best.”

Rhett rose from his seat and looked to where he’d last seen Morgan. He was gone, all evidence of the man having been there, vanished. Rhett sighed. He knew he probably looked conspicuous, speaking with Josh, Emily, and Jordan in hushed whispers, but he still hoped he had some element of surprise as to the topic on his side. With that, he grabbed his hat and headed for the gym.

\------------------

The air was thick with the smell of sweat and rubber. The humidity ratcheted up a few notches as Rhett removed his hat to fan himself. He scanned the room, looking for his target. There she was—in the corner with the heavy bag, beating it within an inch of bursting. 

Jen was an enforcer in the Beasts gang. People had only ever underestimated her based on the fact she was a woman  _ once _ . She had no problem proving to them that doing so could be a fatal mistake. 

As Rhett approached, he leaned against a beam, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it, waiting for Jen to wrap up her workout. He could see her eyeing him out her periphery. They had a fairly friendly relationship, intentionally on Rhett’s part. He knew he’d never want to find himself on her bad side. As she finished her workout, he sent up a silent prayer he wouldn’t find himself there today.

“You know, I hear those things can kill you,” Jen said, as she grabbed her water and took a swig. 

“I’ll take my chances,” Rhett said, as he stubbed his smoke out on the sweat-slicked floor. “How’re you doin’, Matichuk?”

“Oddly enough, I was better until I saw you, McLaughlin. Whaddaya want?” she said, fist resting on her hip.

“Chase Hilt. You know him?”

“Yeah. Good kid. Why?”

“He’s missing.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“How long’s he been missing?”

“Timeline seems to be about two days. You’re one of the last people whose seen him.”

Jen bristled. “Easy there, McLaughlin. You better watch what you say. I like Chase. He’s a pal. I wouldn’t harm a hair on his head.”

“Not even if Flanagan told you to?”

“Flanagan doesn’t even know Chase exists. That’s how neutral Chase is.”

“I doubt he doesn’t know. I’d want to know who my top enforcer spends time with, if I were him.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not. I didn’t touch a hair on his head. Neither did any of the Beasts. I can guarantee it.”

Rhett studied Jen. She was seething and seemed to be closer than before. All of the goodwill he had earned with her thus far was rapidly depleting.

“Look, Jen. I gotta ask. That’s how I’ll be able to find him.”

“And I hope you do. He’s great to talk to about movies.” Jen softened and smiled at this. 

“How was he when you last saw him?”

“He was fine. Happy. Just gotten back from seeing some flick at the Starlight.”

“When’d you last see him?”

“Two nights ago.”

“Did he mention anything about the docks? Irregularities in shipping manifests?”

Jen looked confused. “No, he hasn’t been by the docks in weeks. He got a job at the theater. Much happier.”

“All right. If I think of anything else…?”

“Yeah, you know where to find me. Just find  _ him _ .”

“I got you, Matichuk.”

Jen turned and headed for the locker room as Rhett watched her walk away. The puzzle was coming together, but some of the pieces didn’t fit. Namely, the ones Charles Neal had given him.

\------------------

Rhett spent the rest of the day trying to find Morgan and follow up on some information. He confirmed Chase’s regular attendance at the Starlight—including the night in question—and was told by Chase’s boss what a good kid he was. He stopped by Chase’s apartment and, with a little greasing of the landlord’s hand, was able to gain access to the small, one bedroom shithole Chase called home. Not much of interest there, save for a photo of what Rhett assumed was his mother.

Morgan, however, couldn’t be found. Rhett checked the usual places, but the man had vanished. Hopefully, not to wherever Chase was.

Something kept nagging at Rhett as the picture of Chase came into focus. Lots of people liked Chase. It was all the same refrain: he’s a good guy. Kind. Quick with a joke. Happy. So why did it feel like his cousin saw someone different? There was only one way to find out. 

Rhett walked up to the house of one Charles Neal. It was large—not ostentatious by any means, but still nice enough in a neighborhood that Rhett would never be able to live in even if his home was a cardboard box. 

He rang the doorbell and waited. The door cracked open slightly and a flash of blue came into frame. The door opened wider and Charles wore an expression of confusion. He also wore only his shirt and dress pants, tie discarded and the first few buttons undone, giving a small peek at the hair on the man’s chest. His hair was falling from its style, like hands had been running through it. Rhett had to take a breath, having suddenly lost his.

“Mr. McLaughlin? What are you doing here? Have you found Chase?”

“No, sir, I—“

“Well, why are you here if you haven’t found him? Don’t come back until you do,” Charles said, trying to shut out the private investigator. Rhett was quick, however, and slammed his hand on the door, springing it back toward the blue eyed man. Charles looked surprised, taking a step back as his eyes met Rhett’s.

“Mr. Neal, if you want me to find Chase, there will be times where you’re going to have to cooperate with me. And this is one of those times,” Rhett said, and with that, pushed the entrance open fully and invited himself in.

“Wha—wha—who do you think you are?” Charles sputtered as he shut the door behind him.

“The man who’s going to find your cousin, if you just cooperate for one damn minute,” Rhett said sternly, green eyes boring holes into Charles’. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

Charles gulped and nodded slightly. He walked further into the home, beckoning Rhett to follow. 

They made their way into the parlor and Rhett stopped to take in the room. It was larger than Chase’s apartment, and far more comfortable and welcoming. Rhett swore he felt cool air and basked in the comfort it brought from the heat outside. 

Charles walked to a drinks cart and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He motioned to Rhett with the decanter and Rhett nodded affirmatively. After drinks were in hand, Charles gestured to the sofa as he took a seat in the armchair facing it. 

“So, what do you need to know, Mr. McLaughlin?” Charles said, taking a drink.

“How close were you to Chase, Mr. Neal?”

“Not very. He stopped coming around after I couldn’t help him financially anymore.”

“Couldn’t, or wouldn’t?” Rhett said while he pointedly glanced around the room.

“Couldn’t. My bosses disapproved. Besides, money is tighter than usual.”

“Seems to me like you have more than enough for five people.”

“Oh, you think you know me just looking at my home and how I dress? Is it that easy for you to make assumptions about other people?”

“I just call it like I see it, Mr. Neal.”

Charles narrowed his eyes as Rhett took a sip from his glass. The whiskey was strong, neat, and the best Rhett had ever had. He wanted to savor it, but had a feeling he’d be out on his ass sooner rather than later.

“What else do you assume about me, Mr. McLaughlin?” Charles said, raising the glass to his mouth again. This time, however, he let the glass there, calling attention to his plump bottom lip. His tone had shifted as well. Rather than sounding defensive or frustrated, he was measured and calm. 

This was a challenge, and Rhett wasn’t afraid of a challenge. He took a breath.

“I assume you value appearance above everything else. I assume you like to show and tell what an important man you are to anyone who would listen. I assume you stopped wondering what your cousin was like once he became an inconvenience for you. I assume you truly know nothing about your cousin, because everyone I talked to today thought he’s one of the nicest guys who has ever walked this earth. I assume you’ve never given thought to what people who know Chase think of you, and, let me be the one to tell you, it’s not what you’re hoping for.”

Rhett paused and stared at Charles, who sat stoically in his chair. He blinked slowly a few times, absorbing Rhett’s assumptions. Rhett wasn’t sure, but he swore he could see a flash of sadness in Charles’ eyes that he was trying to hide. Rhett continued.

“I also assume that somewhere in that body of yours is a heart that’s capable of caring. If there wasn’t, I doubt you’d hire me to find Chase. And that’s what I’m going to do.”

Charles’ body relaxed a bit as Rhett drank, signifying he was done. Charles paused, considering what was laid out before him, and took another drink. His eyes shifted back to Rhett and the investigator could see the tears that sat heavy in them.

“It’s true that I lack the ability to care for others the way I remember Chase’s mother doing. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care. You might be the first person to recognize that in me in a long time,” Charles said quietly. He gave a mirthless chuckle and smirked at Rhett. “You  _ are _ good at your job.”

Rhett smiled back and raised his glass. “Well, I haven’t found him yet, Mr. Neal.”

“Call me Link.”

“Link?”

“Yes, people who know me well call me Link. It’s from Lincoln, my middle name.”

Rhett observed the man in front of him. Beyond the fact that he was attractive, underneath that prickly demeanor was still a human being, capable of more than what has been assumed of him.

“Do you have any more leads?” Link asked, shifting the conversation back to the case and knocking Rhett out of his thoughts.

“A few. I’ll be doing more follow up tomorrow. You were my last stop.”

“Hm. Would you like another drink then and to tell me what you’ve learned about Chase?”

Rhett smiled and relaxed. “Certainly. And you can call me Rhett.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mike, you complete me. And this story with your amazing beta skills.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It starts getting interesting, y'all.

Rhett sat up the next morning in his bed with a headache, but oddly content. He had stayed at Link’s until early dawn. Talking and drinking had moved from the topic of Chase into similar upbringings in North Carolina, the movies, and more. He’d found he had a lot in common with Link—who, with the help of alcohol, had loosened up considerably. It was as if the self-imposed restraints on how he acted had been lifted, if only for a few hours. Rhett mused as to how someone that seemed so funny and arguably charismatic could be so buttoned up and disagreeable in their day-to-day life.

He stumbled into the bathroom and stripped for his shower. Taking a few aspirin, he hopped in and let the cool water cascade down his body. As he lathered up, he thought back to another interesting moment of the night and fought his body’s memory of the incident as well.

Link had just put on another country record and crooned along, laughing. Rhett stood near the mantle, watching Link’s body react to the music. Link had moved fluidly as the notes rang out in the room, and Rhett became enraptured by the man in front of him--so different from his first impression. Link must have picked up on the shift in Rhett, because suddenly, their eyes locked. Link held the contact as he sauntered up to him. Their chests bumped when he finally reached him, and Rhett’s breath hitched. Rhett felt himself drowning again in the deep blue of Link’s eyes—and… were they darker than before? Link’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, and Rhett’s attention shot to the movement. Just as the eye contact was broken, however, Link moved away toward the drink cart and poured another glass.  _ Just needed a refill _ , Rhett thought then, and again in the shower as the memory tucked back into Rhett’s brain.

Rhett finished getting ready and headed out. There was still a job to do and a man to find. He decided to try and find Morgan and retrace steps from The Greasy Spork and Josh’s place above the diner over to Chase’s. He stopped in for a quick bite to eat at the Spork—Josh gave him a nod, and kept working, but Emily mentioned again that breakfast was on the house. Morgan wasn’t there, so Rhett decided to go ahead and keep searching.

He stepped out of the diner and looked around. He started his walk to Chase’s apartment. It was in a location central to everything—the Spork, Beast territory and Randler territory. It felt odd to Rhett for Chase to have a place that accessible without being involved.

He kept his wits about him as he moved towards the apartment. Passing a lot of store fronts, Rhett took in everything. His focus slid from the street and back down the alleyways he passed. He tried to put himself in Chase’s mindset; in his shoes.  _ He’s coming home from spending time with Josh. It’s late. He’s moving quick. He’s happy. Maybe he’s not as alert,  _ Rhett thought.  _ What if he was taken off the street? What if he darted down an alleyway? _

Rhett visualized a map. Were there any alleyways that created a shortcut? Two came to mind quickly. He quickened his pace as he approached one, looking down the stretch as he closed in to its opening. It was long and narrow and surprisingly dark for the middle of the day. At the other end, he could see Chase’s apartment building. Seemed to be a logical choice.  _ Stupid, but logical _ , Rhett thought.

He pulled out his pocket flashlight and swept the light beam back and forth on the ground, looking and hoping for something that seemed out of the ordinary. He knew it was a long shot, but maybe there was something. Just his luck, it was then that Rhett slipped and fell. He was able to brace himself so that his upper body didn’t hit hard, but it came at the cost of his knee striking the pavement.

“Shit!” Rhett muttered more obscenities as he slowly got up, brushing the dirt off of his suit, examining his scraped-up palms and wondering how he’d missed that slippery spot. But if he hadn't slipped, he might not have noticed a perfectly folded piece of paper tucked behind the dumpster. It seemed a little too purposefully placed and definitely too pristine to just be tossed in the trash. He hobbled to it and picked it up. Unfolding it, he righted it to see that it was a jury summons for Chase in a few days. Rhett flipped it over and found messy writing. A list of addresses. What was so important about them? Rhett winced. He had a banged-up knee, but at least he also had a few new leads.

\----------------------

After finishing the sweep of the alleyway up to Chase’s apartment building, Rhett headed back to his office to treat his scrapes and pull out the map. After cleaning his hands and examining the bruise on his knee that was starting to blossom, he tacked the map up on the bulletin board in his office. One by one, Rhett stuck pushpins on the map to represent the eight addresses on the back of the summons. After finishing, Rhett grabbed a drink, lit another cigarette and sat down at his desk to ruminate on what was in front of him. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the addresses except for one thing: they were all in Beast territory. He recognized a couple; they were some of the gambling houses in which he had found himself during previous investigations. But the others were unknown. 

Rhett took a long drag of the cigarette before putting it out. He knew there was a communications system between the gambling houses—when one was close to a bust, they all seemed to shut down at the same time. Long had he suspected there was some kind of a runner that went between all of the locations at any given time during operation. Was Chase a runner? Rhett reflected on what he’d heard from everyone about the kid. It didn’t seem possible to them that he could be involved in any shady dealings, but the writing was literally in front of him. 

The other thing nagging at Rhett was the tidy nature of the note. It was perfectly folded and tucked in such a way that no one would have given it any notice, even to toss it into the dumpster as an errant piece of trash. It wasn’t intended for the trash—it was intended to be  _ found _ . This was nothing born of a moment of panic. It was methodical. As if Chase knew someone would come looking. Did he disappear intentionally?

Rhett sighed. He still needed to find Morgan and investigate these addresses. He wondered errantly if he should give Link an update tonight—not that there was much to update. He wouldn’t want to worry him with anything until he had investigated it himself. But maybe Link knew something about these addresses. 

Rhett shook his head. He wouldn’t be making housecalls to people who hired him regardless, so why was he considering it with this guy two nights in a row? Last night was just a spur of the moment decision since he’d needed some answers right away. He didn’t need to go to Link’s tonight. He brushed the odd feeling of sadness away and got up to find Morgan and visit the first address.

\--------------------------

Rhett was able to make it to a couple of addresses before his knee started throbbing in pain. The first was a locksmith; another was a place was boarded up tight—seemingly abandoned, but Rhett suspected it was a different story at night. The pain in his knee, however, was getting to be a bit much, and he internally cursed himself. He wasn’t as far as he wanted to be in this investigation and he still hadn’t located Morgan. 

As he walked from the last location of the day, he started to consider grabbing a taxi home. He was pretty far, but there wasn’t an available cab in sight. He kept walking, considering the case and getting lost in his own thoughts. 

“Rhett?” a voice said.

Rhett’s head whipped up. He stood face-to-face with Link. In front of Link’s house. How did he get here?

“What are you doing here? Do you have an update?” Link asked. Rhett took him in. He had his suit jacket tossed over his arm, his hand holding a briefcase. His salt and pepper hair was under a hat and his eyes, though tired, were still impossibly bright.

“Link. Hi. Uh, no. No update. I was walking back to my place.”

“You were hobbling. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, I banged up my knee pretty badly earlier. It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. Come inside.” Link turned and walked up the path to his place.

“No, it’s really fi—”

Link whirled around and shot a look clean through Rhett. “Come inside,” he said in a measured, clipped tone.

Rhett’s eyebrows shot up as Link continued inside. He followed behind and shut the door. Walking into the parlor where he had spent the previous evening, Link dropped his items on a chair and went to the drink cart.

“Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable and lift your foot on that footstool,” Link instructed. He grabbed a towel and the ice bucket from the bar cart and disappeared. Rhett took his suit jacket off and placed it on the back of the chair. He rolled up his shirtsleeves and plopped down in the seat, raising his leg up on the footstool. He heaved a sigh of relief as Link walked back in. Link gave Rhett the towel, now bundled with ice. “Put this on your knee,” he said quietly as he took the ice bucket to the drink cart. He poured two drinks and gave one to the bearded man nursing his leg.

“Thanks,” Rhett said as the cold started seeping into his injury. It felt good after a long day of walking and making it worse. Or maybe it was the drink. Or the company.

“What happened?” Link asked as he took a seat opposite Rhett. He had taken his shoes off at some point and his tie was now missing. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. Rhett lost all train of thought.

“Happened?” Rhett said, clearing his throat and taking a sip of his drink. He needed to pull it together.

“With your knee.”

“Oh. I was looking in an alleyway and hit a slippery spot. Hands got a bit scraped up, too.” Rhett held up a palm. Link’s eyes flitted to it and back to Rhett’s face.

“I’m sorry you got hurt. Those alleyways are just so dark.”

“Yeah, but it was my own fault. I had a flashlight and just missed it. But I did get a few new leads out of it, so it’s kind of worth it, I guess.”

“New leads?” Link’s curiosity piqued. “What new leads?”

“I’m looking into them. Don’t want to worry you about them if they end up being dead ends.”

“Oh,” Link said softly. Disappointment washed over his features.

“Hey,” Rhett said, leaned forward, encouraging Link to look at him. “I’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

They sat there staring at one another for a moment longer before Rhett realized that his hand had ended up on Link’s thigh, thumb rubbing back and forth. He quickly pulled away, coughing and taking another sip.

“You okay?” Link said, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“Yep.” Rhett took another sip. He was losing control fast, and he didn’t like it.

“Do you mind if I see your knee?” Link asked.

“Why?” Rhett said, his heartbeat picking up speed. 

“I want to make sure it’s not as bad as you say it is.”

Before Rhett knew it, Link was on his knees in front of him, pulling at his pant leg. Rhett shifted in his seat to disguise the evidence of the rush of blood to his cock as his knee was exposed. It had turned a nasty shade of purple and was slightly swollen, much worse than it was earlier. A scrape on top screamed red, but wasn’t bleeding. Link tsked quietly as his fingers palpated the area gently. Rhett jumped a bit at the touch, but relaxed into it. Link was gentle; there was no pain as he examined the knee. 

There was, however, a different feeling going on. Rhett was getting harder with every graze of Link’s fingers. He hadn’t had a reaction like this to someone’s touch in a long time, and this was a terrible moment to start again. Link was a client. Rhett had a reputation to maintain. He squirmed in his seat and labored to get his growing erection under control.

“I’m sorry, does that hurt?” Link looked up at Rhett, hands still on the wound. Rhett shook his head. Link gazed at Rhett for a moment, who flushed under the attention and turned away.

“Look at me,” Link said sharply. Rhett turned and regarded him. Without breaking eye contact, Link bent and gave Rhett’s knee one gentle kiss, and then another. Rhett’s breath grew shallower when Link lifted his head and inched forward on his knees, closer to Rhett. He took the glass from Rhett and cradled Rhett’s hand in his. He leaned forward and kissed the scrapes there—repeating the action with the other hand. Rhett watched, mesmerized by the man in front of him and what he was doing. It was as if he was under a spell, one of which he had no desire to break.

Link's breathing faltered as he peered up at Rhett from the floor, tongue darting out to lick his lips.

“Thirsty?” Rhett said gruffly, his voice breaking a bit.

“More than you know,” Link said, and with that, he surged forward and captured Rhett’s lips with his own. Rhett moaned into his mouth and reciprocated eagerly, his tongue running along the seam of Link’s lips, requesting and being granted access. Link’s tongue dueled with his as hands shot up to cradle Rhett’s face. Rhett placed his palms over Link’s and moved them up, trying to get Link impossibly closer to him. 

Link broke away, and Rhett whimpered at the loss only to hum appreciatively when the man stood and straddled Rhett in the chair. They resumed kissing and Link ground down on Rhett, drawing a moan from Rhett as he felt Link’s cock rubbing against his own, just as hard as he was.

“Oh, yeah, baby. I like hearing you moan,” Link said as Rhett’s lips moved to his jawline and neck. Rhett hit a particularly sweet spot under his ear and the moan that erupted from Link was desperate and needy. It drove Rhett further. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn’t—this was a client—but Link was addictive, and Rhett was hooked. 

Link’s fingers flew to Rhett’s shirt and he started unbuttoning, pushing Rhett back against the chair. Rhett was putty in Link’s hands as Link nipped, sucked, and kissed his way down, moving himself off of Rhett’s lap and back onto the floor between his legs. 

His hands made quick work of Rhett’s pants and Rhett watched with hooded eyes as his cock sprang out and to life in Link’s hands.

“Oh, Rhett. You’re so big. I’m gonna love wrapping my lips around this,” Link whimpered as his hand pumped Rhett. Rhett’s head fell back to the seat. It had been so long since he had been touched, and Link was like Midas. He wasn’t going to last long with how Link was handling him.

Suddenly, warmth enveloped Rhett and he was launched into the stratosphere. He looked down and Link had his mouth around him, working him over and over, going down as far as he could. Rhett heard a slight gag from Link and he groaned. The sounds from Rhett really did seem to spur Link on, as Link reached to palm his own dick through his pants. Rhett finally saw his chance to take back some control. 

“Take your cock out, Link. Stroke it for me. Let me see how pretty you look when you cum,” Rhett said, low and dirty. Link’s eyebrows shot up as his hands shot to his pants, all while continuing to deep throat Rhett. Cock in hand, Link returned the other hand to Rhett and started stroking both in sync.

Rhett felt light, but still tethered to this reality by Link’s mouth. He breathed deeply, willing himself to last, but as he watched Link jerk himself off while doing some incredibly talented things with his tongue, he wasn’t sure he could. 

He did know one thing as he watched Link; he wasn’t lying before—he wanted to see Link’s face as he came.

He pulled Link off of him, eliciting a pitiful mewl from the smaller man. “Come here, baby,” Rhett said, as he guided Link towards him again. Link straddled Rhett and kissed him once more, deeply. One of Rhett’s hands went to Link’s hair and tugged as he wrapped his other around both of their dicks and started stroking, tortuously slow. They groaned in tandem, overwhelmed by the feeling. 

Rhett picked up the pace, running his thumb over their slits as precum gathered. His grip in Link’s hair tightened, pulling his forehead to Link’s and looking at him as he moaned. Their eyes locked on one another and, falling into those baby blues again for what felt like the millionth time since meeting him, Rhett gave one last twist and both men spilled with a moan, one right after the other, cum covering Link’s lap and Rhett’s stomach.

Rhett gently stroked through the aftershocks, and—as his hand moved away—Link groaned. Rhett loosened his grip on Link’s hair and leaned in for a kiss, far more gentle and chaste than previously. Link sank into it, pressing his lips tightly against Rhett’s. They broke apart and Link leaned down to pick up the forgotten towel off the floor, ice melting everywhere. He cleaned both of them off and got up from Rhett’s lap, tucking himself back into his pants as Rhett did the same. Walking to the bar cart, Link put the towel down and braced himself against the cart, head dropping.

Rhett stood and worried a bit that Link regretted what had happened. He didn’t want to stick around and be told he was a mistake, though.

“I should probably head out. Lots to do tomorrow. I can show myself out,” Rhett said as he grabbed his jacket. Link spun around and a look of confusion flashed on his face before morphing into something more neutral.

“Yes, of course. Please find Chase,” he said, quietly. 

Rhett turned and walked out of the room, and the house, more emotions rushing through his mind and his heart than ever before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Early posting!

Rhett moved quickly down the sidewalk back towards downtown. He was breathing heavily and his knee throbbed with every step, but he felt no pain.  _ What was I thinking?! _ he chastised.  _ What happened at Link’s shouldn’t have happened.  _ Rhett’s mind raced with the fresh memories. The way that his hands felt on Link’s hips, the way he smelled of peppermint, his face as he came--Rhett shook his head as if he could push the images away physically. It was near impossible though. They were freshly branded on his brain; a parting gift for him to go back to time and time again to remember how intense and...right it had felt. 

But Link’s body language said enough. Rhett had seen it before. It was found in the random hookups he had with men who were looking for some kind of thrill they didn’t normally get. Rhett was angry. Not with Link, but himself. He let his walls down, if only for a moment; he’d spent his adulthood building them up, protecting himself, and Link Neal had found his way in. How it had happened, Rhett wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the whiskey. Maybe it was the night of laughter and shared stories. Maybe it was those eyes. The only thing Rhett knew for certain was that now there was a new injury to his heart. 

Rhett was too keyed up to go back to his place, so he made his way toward the closest address on the list. He still had a job to do. Find Chase. Find Chase, and be done with Link for the rest of his life. The sooner that happened, the sooner he could rebuild those walls.

He approached the first address cautiously. From the outside it looked like a closed up dry cleaner, but the faint sounds of music could be heard if Rhett pushed his ear against the door. He stepped back and looked up and down the street. It was dark, save for the street lights that illuminated the way. Rhett looked back at the front door. No police would be patrolling a seemingly quiet street, and if they were, they’d never leave their cruiser. Rhett tried the door and found it was locked. He went down the alleyway alongside the building and found a set of cellar doors. The music seemed louder. He pulled on them, but again, the doors were locked. He rapped on the door. Suddenly, the door swung out and Rhett took a step back. A gruff looking man popped up and eyed Rhett suspiciously.

“What do you want?”

Rhett racked his brain for an answer, but he didn’t have to for very long.

“He’s with me.”

Rhett’s head whipped up to the voice and saw Jen walking toward him, a small smile playing on her lips. The guy stepped out of the cellar and motioned for Rhett and Jen to go in. Rhett stooped as he went down the steps and through the door. He stepped into a large, very active room. Warm light flooded his eyes, feeling as though it was ten in the morning instead of ten at night. Tables cluttered the floor and patrons crowded around them, placing their bets, exclaiming loudly whether they’d won or lost. Waitresses weaved their way across the floor and the air hung heavy with cigarette smoke and alcohol vapors. Booths lined the room, packed with obnoxious laughter and hushed conversations. A five-piece jazz band was in a corner, bopping along in their own world, fading into the background. Rhett had to hand it to the Beasts: the way they worked their gambling dens? They did it in style. 

Rhett felt a tap on his arm. He turned to Jen, who motioned for him to follow. They made their way to the bar and saddled up to it. 

“Matt, two beers, please,” Jen said, as the bartender acknowledged the mighty blonde. Jen turned to Rhett as the beers were set in front of them. “You look like shit,” she said as she clinked the neck of her beer bottle against Rhett’s and took a sip. “How’s it going trying to find Chase?”

Rhett picked up his beer and took a long pull. Jen’s eyes went wide as she watched. “That bad, huh?” Jen asked, worry edging her words.

Rhett pulled the bottle from his lips and took a breath. “No, it’s not that. Just came from his cousin’s house,” he said as he put the bottle back to his lips for another sip.

Jen scoffed. “Oh, yeah. That asshole. He riding you hard?”

Rhett spit the beer out as Jen’s words registered in his head. Jen pulled back in disgust, but realized what she said and laughed loudly. 

“I didn’t mean like that, you dork. I don’t even think he swings that way.”

Rhett grimaced as he wiped himself off.  _ If only she knew. _

“I meant,” Jen said, “he’s an uptight asshole. Always seemed to be bothered by Chase in some way, shape or form. It took a toll on Chase for a while, but then he seemed to just...not be bothered by it. I don’t know. It was weird.”

Rhett took that in and rolled it around in his head as he took another sip of his beer. “I just figured,” Jen continued, “that he would be on your case about trying to find Chase. Like, a lot.”

“He hasn’t been that bad. He seems genuinely concerned though. He really wants to find Chase,” Rhett said, eyeing Jen. Jen scoffed and took another sip.

“I do have some questions while you’re here,” Rhett continued. “Have you seen Morgan around?”

“Yeah, he’s been around. Why?”

“I heard he was friends with Chase too. Thought he might know something I don’t.”

“I get the feeling Morgan knows a lot of things you don’t, but I doubt he knows much more about Chase.”

“Be that as it may, if you could tell him I’m looking for him and just want to ask a few questions, maybe it’ll help me find your friend easier.” Rhett took his own shot to appeal to Jen. Judging from the look on her face, it landed.

“I’ll do that. What else do you need?”

“Had Chase been here before?”

“Not that I know of. Barely has two cents to rub together. Plus, look around. It’s not exactly a slew of blue collar workers and tradesmen in here.”

“So tell me why I found this address on a sheet of paper with Chase’s name on it outside his apartment building?”

Jen recoiled a bit, but recovered quickly. “I don’t know. That seems odd. You said you found it outside of his apartment?”

“Yep.”

Jen eyed Rhett. “Not going to tell me anything else?”

“What’s in it for me?”

“My undying love and gratitude.”

“Please. I know that belongs to the Beasts.”

Jen huffed a breath and slammed the rest of her beer back before standing and beckoning over the bartender. “I’d just watch yourself, McLaughlin. I hope you don’t have to dig too deep to find Chase, but if you do, you better be prepared for what you’ll find. Have another beer. On me.”

With that, Jen turned and disappeared into the crowd. Another beer found itself in front of Rhett and he took a long drink. He looked around again, assessing the room and who was in it. 

Jen was right. This was one of those places where larger, more lucrative deals happened. Bankers, politicians, lawyers--the lot of them were here in the room. Definitely not Chase’s crowd. Rhett’s eyes caught briefly on a different door than he had come in from. The room was essentially one big box; the bar had a small room for surplus alcohol, but even that stayed within the confines of the box. Thinking briefly, Jen hadn’t headed back toward the main door, but she was absent from the room. This was a door to  _ somewhere _ .

Rhett finished his beer and tipped the bartender before moseying his way to the port in question. He leaned against the wall to the side so that if the door were to open, he’d at least have a peek inside. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a drag and blowing it out. He hesitated, looking at the cigarette. He really should quit.

Just then, the door pulled open. Rhett looked in, but was quickly denied a look at anything substantial by the woman who stepped out. She was small, but her expression indicated she was nobody to mess with. Her eyes narrowed at Rhett as she gave him a once over.

“Can I help you, Mr. McLaughlin?” she asked cooly, her arms crossed in front of her.

“No, I’m just fine. Resting my back against your wall here,” Rhett said calmly, though his insides were turning over. This woman knew who he was, but he’d never seen her before in his life. “I’m sorry, I have a terrible memory. Have we met before?”

“Your memory is just fine. One of the sharpest I’ve heard about. No, we haven’t met,” the young blonde said, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. 

“Well, then, since you know my name, can I have yours?” Rhett asked, putting on his best, charming smile.

The woman’s mouth turned into a full smirk. “No,” she said simply, and walked away.

Rhett’s face contorted into one of confusion as he watched the woman walk away. He weighed his options. It seemed he should know who this woman was, but to follow her and seemingly harass her for answers wouldn’t be good in this crowd. He looked back at the door and realized that getting any answers here, while busy, wouldn’t be key. 

He resigned himself to leaving, and figuring out what his next steps should be. As he walked back to his apartment, he passed a couple of other addresses on Chase’s list. On the surface, they were similar to what he had seen before—abandoned looking storefronts on quiet streets. The kind varied from dry cleaners to locksmiths to hair salons, but if Rhett pressed his ear against the door, the faint sound of music was unmistakable. As was the fact that as he examined the buildings, there were cellar doors leading to perceived basements. Rhett took into account the alleyways and streets and realized that they seemed to be connected. But how? Sewer system? Tunnels?

Rhett kept pondering the possible angles as he made his way to his apartment. Letting himself in and toeing off his shoes at the door, he bypassed turning the lights on and made his way to the small bathroom, peeling off his jacket and tie as he went. There was no question, washing the day away and going to bed seemed to be the best course of action. 

————————-

The next day, Rhett got up earlier than usual. To be honest, he had spent most of the night tossing and turning in bed. Every time he closed his eyes, visions of Link swam before them. Link concerned as he asked for updates on the case. Link gleeful when Rhett laughed that first night. Link closing his eyes in ecstasy as he rode out the aftershocks of his orgasm. Rhett sat up and clutched his chest, willing the memories away. He might as well start the day and solve the case as quickly as he could.

He got ready and meandered his way to his office. He wanted to grab a few things before getting the day started. Hopefully, Morgan would show his face and that lead wouldn’t feel as much of a dead end as it did. 

As the elevator to his office floor dinged, he stepped off, flipping his keys to find the right one. He raised his head and stopped in his tracks. 

His office door was cracked. And his pistol was in his office.

_ Shit _ , Rhett thought. He put his belongings on the floor quietly and crept to the door. He doubted he had the element of surprise but his size gave him at least something of an advantage. He hoped.

Quick as a snake strike, he threw the office door open and yelled, his eyes scanning the room for who or whatever might be in there.

Morgan didn’t move, save for his eyes shifting to consider the wild man. He was seated behind Rhett’s desk, the morning paper spread open before him.

“Morning, McLaughlin,” Morgan said, his attention back to the paper. “I hear you’re looking for me.”

Rhett visibly relaxed. 

It could be hard with Morgan. It wasn’t clear what his role within the Beasts was, but the rumors always persisted that he was their fixer—if Morgan saw you, no one else did again. Their paths had crossed a few times, yet he’d never had any problems. Morgan was quiet. Always the one to look out for. But as much as Rhett was apprehensive, he still had a case to solve.

“You know a Chase Hilt?” Rhett said.

“Yeah,” Morgan replied, his eyes never straying from the paper.

“He a friend?”

“Sure.”

“He’s gone missing.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Whoa, dial back the emotion there,” Rhett said, the edge of sarcasm sharpened more than intended.

Morgan looked up at Rhett and placed his hands on the desk. “I’m doing you a courtesy by being here. I didn’t have to be here, but I am. I haven’t seen Chase in over a week.”

“Where was the last place you saw him?”

“We saw a new flick down at the cinema. Chase is one of those few people who can appreciate something a little different. After it was over, I went home. I assume Chase did as well.”

“Doesn’t seem like the type to piss anyone off, but did he?”

“Chase? He’s a lamb.”

“Lamb, huh? And who would lead him to slaughter?”

Morgan’s eyes steeled over as he regarded Rhett. “No one I know.”

Rhett nodded as Morgan pushed the chair away from his desk. As he stood, he straightened his suit jacket and placed his hat on his head. “If I were you, McLaughlin. I’d read between the lines,” he said as he brushed past Rhett, making his exit. “Oh, and nice map.” With that, Morgan closed the door. 

Rhett jumped to the map to make sure nothing had changed. Nothing had, save for a small list of words pinned beside the cluster. They seemed to be random, but Rhett had quickly sussed out that the words had to have been passwords to the gambling houses. That was a start to do some more investigating, but Rhett felt uneasy. Why would Morgan offer up the passwords so easily? He found himself glad he’d taken home the original paper the addresses were listed on.

He retrieved his items from the hallway and made his way back to the desk. As he started to pick up the paper that Morgan had left, a flash of red caught his eye. Morgan had apparently perused the classifieds and one was circled. 

INFORMATION ON LOST LAMB

859 SMITHFIELD STREET

2:00 p.m.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops! Forgot to post yesterday. Give me comments--they'll help fuel me to write the next chapter.

Rhett approached the address in the ad hesitantly. He knew this was Beast territory. It was right there on the edge of the docks where people could disappear easily. And this was definitely one of  _ those _ places.

It was an old slaughterhouse. The symbolism Morgan had thrown Rhett’s way made him roll his eyes, but if it meant he was getting closer, so be it.

Rhett had his pistol on him this time, just in case. He walked in, glancing around at the massive room that was open before him. Rickety steps by the front and back entrances led to offices upstairs on one side as sunlight flooded in from the other. Blood still stained the floor, but the equipment was cleared away… save for one chair, and a petite blonde sitting in it, the perfect picture of power and elegance. The blonde from the night before.

“Mr. McLaughlin. Glad you could make it,” she said, picking an imaginary piece of lint off of her impeccable pantsuit. 

“Glad to have the invite…” Rhett gestured with his hand, an indication that now was the time he learned a name.

“Stevie,” she said.

A moment of realization dawned on Rhett’s face before he could school his features into passivity. He’d heard of Stevie. The rumors ran rampant that Stevie was the real brains behind the Beasts--a high ranking lieutenant who knew how to deliver results. He never would have imagined a woman, but here she was. She knew it, too, as she smirked and tilted her head to look at Rhett. 

“You look a little confounded, Mr. McLaughlin,” she mused as he stepped closer.

“More like astounded,” he said cooly, trying to regain some composure. “You’re shorter than I imagined.”

“Well, compared to you, everyone is.”

Rhett gave a silent chuckle. He was intrigued by this woman, but the more he stood here, the less likely he felt he could leave in one piece. Back to business. 

“You have information on Chase Hilt?”

Stevie’s eyebrow went up.

“No other pleasantries? Well, Jen was not wrong. You are dogged in your pursuit of the truth.”

“I’m touched. Chase’s cousin mentioned Chase spotted some irregularities in shipping manifests. Since the Beasts have some kind of connection to the docks, you know anything about that?” Even if Chase had been working at the theater, maybe there was still something to what Link mentioned when he first brought the case forward.

For the first time, Rhett saw a crack in Stevie’s demeanor. It was small; fleeting, but there.

“Have you looked into the Randlers at all?”

“The Randlers have not come up in the investigation at all. I’m just following up on the leads I have and they all seem to lead me to the Beasts’ doorstep.”

“And that doesn’t seem a little convenient to you?”

Rhett paused. There wasn’t any reason to investigate the Randlers at this time, but then again, if Stevie hadn’t wanted this meeting, he feared he’d run into more dead ends.

Stevie pushed up from the chair, walking slowly to Rhett. She paused next to him, clearing her throat.

“Feel free to investigate the other locations on your little list. Grab a drink while you’re there. But, you know, Chase was also friends with Davin. Maybe ask  _ him, _ when was the last time he saw him,” she said. With that, she walked out of the slaughterhouse.

* * *

Rhett left the slaughterhouse soon after, his mind whirling. As he told Stevie, the Randlers never came up in the investigation. The last people Chase had been seen with were Beasts. The names given to him as friends of Chase were Beasts. But if Chase were someone to remain Switzerland in this scenario, it would make sense he would have friends within the Randlers as well.

The Randlers were a bit more nebulous. There was no storefront speakeasy for this crowd. Their business was money laundering, and business was good. Even the Beasts used the services the Randlers provided. Rhett often wondered if Flanagan ever bristled at relying on the Randlers as much as he had to. 

What Rhett could never understand was how someone as brash and loud as Alex Punch ran such a tight ship. The Randlers were rarely, if ever, caught. No one knew how they were able to clean as much as cash they did. The estimated business the Randlers ran was massive. Everything about it screamed silence. Yet Punch was anything but. There’d be times Punch would brag openly about being untouchable, but he was right. He  _ was _ untouchable. 

Wasn’t he? Rhett had some more thinking to do, and the office would be the best place for it.

* * *

As the elevator opened its doors to his office floor, Rhett wasn’t expecting another visitor and stopped short at the sight.

Link was standing in the hall, visibly straightening at the sight of Rhett. His chin jutted into the air and a look of defiance graced his features. Rhett blinked himself back into consciousness and steeled himself for the inevitable. He walked to the door, unlocking it and refusing to meet Link’s eyes.

“How can I help you, Mr. Neal?” Rhett asked as he swept into his office. He put his hat and suit jacket on the coat stand and moved to his place behind the desk, running a hand through his hair. 

Link closed the office door and locked it before standing in front of the desk. Rhett braced himself for the reasons and excuses for what had happened that he’d heard time and time again. This time, however, he found himself silently hoping they wouldn’t come from Link’s mouth.

“Well, Mr. McLaughlin, you left me a little stunned last night,” Link said brusquely. “I expected more of an update on Chase and you didn’t deliver.”

Rhett sighed as he looked down at his hands. He should have known better. Link seemed to be the kind of guy who’d rather pretend what’d happened hadn’t. 

Link’s attention was captured by the bulletin board with the addresses. “For example, you could have told me you had, what,” Link said as he silently counted the pushpins, “seven, eight potential leads? Instead of leading me to believe you had nothing?”

Rhett’s head snapped up. Fire flashed in his eyes as Link continued looking at the bulletin board, blissfully unaware of the fury he’d unleashed.

Rhett stood slowly; Link turned as he sensed the movement. 

“Mr. Neal,” Rhett started, his voice hard. “I can assure you that you are on a need-to-know basis. When you need to know it, you will. My solve rate is excellent. There’s obviously a reason you came to me in the first place.”

Amusement shot through Link’s features. “And what reason do you think that is,  _ Mr. McLaughlin _ ?”

Rhett seethed. “Because I know how to get the job done,  _ Mr. Neal _ .”

Link barked an incredulous laugh as he turned back to the bulletin board. “Yeah. I see that.”

Rhett narrowed his eyes. “Do you have something to say? I don’t like pussyfooting around, so if you have something to say to me, say it. Otherwise, leave. I have to find your cousin.”

“Is that how it works for you? Things seem a little uncomfortable, a little too personal, so you make yourself scarce?” Link’s tone had less edge to it; if Rhett didn’t know any better, he would have guessed he detected a bit of hurt, too. He brought himself to his full height.

“I’m not afraid of anything, if that’s what you mean.”

Link whirled on the detective, face contorted in anger. “You really expect me to believe that? After last night? Sure seems to me that you were running scared.”

Rhett stepped back as Link continued.

“Yeah, you’re right. There was a reason I hired you. Everyone I talked to about you said the same thing: you know how to get to the bottom of the problem. You have a sharp mind. The fact you were attractive just happened to be a bonus.”

Rhett was dumbfounded. Link wasn’t hiding what happened; he was facing it head on and unafraid of forcing Rhett to do the same. 

“Then you came by with an update on the case. You intrigued me. More than most ever do,” Link spat, arms flailing to punctuate each sentence. “Smart, funny, just a touch of dry humor. Come to find out, you’re just like everyone else.”

Rhett found his way around the desk with lightning speed. He was in Link’s space, towering over him. To Link’s credit, he didn’t even flinch. The air between them crackled with anticipation.  _ This could go either way _ .

“And what, pray tell, would that be?”

Link swallowed, eyes darting from Rhett’s eyes to his lips for a fraction of a second.

“A coward,” he said, his tongue darting out in preparation.

Rather than using his words to prove Link wrong, he used his lips, crashing them against Link’s, wanting to show just how much of a coward he wasn’t.

The two men warred for dominance as they kissed, teeth and tongues getting into the mix. Rhett pushed back against Link, turning him so he would be against the desk. The smack of the wood against them jolted the men into harmony, Rhett kissing and sucking his way down Link’s neck as Link was grasping desperately for Rhett’s belt. Rhett pushed Link’s jacket off. As Link tried to wrestle his arms free of the jacket, Rhett ripped open Link’s shirt, buttons flying everywhere. Link let out a small gasp, his pupils blown wide as he looked up at Rhett.

“Still a coward?” Rhett asked as he took full advantage of Link’s trapped hands and palmed the younger man through his pants. 

“No,” Link gasped, as he finally worked his arms free and his hands flew to Rhett’s neck, pulling them together into a deep kiss. Rhett felt more in this kiss than he had any other, and for a moment, lost himself in the sensation. Breaking him from his reverie, however, was Link trying to gain the upper hand by placing his own, lower. 

Rhett groaned at Link’s surety as his pants were unzipped and his cock was exposed to the air. The slow pump of Link’s hand compelled Rhett to bury his face in Link’s neck, resuming his quest to make Link come undone. Rhett’s hand slowly grazed down Link’s body, making detours along his chest. The man had foregone the standard undershirt, so his skin was exposed, driving Rhett mad. 

Link slowly sank to his knees as Rhett lamented the loss of warmth and braced himself against the desk. Link’s hand was swiftly replaced with his mouth and Rhett groaned deeply. The bob of Link’s head was hypnotic and Rhett was overwhelmed with it: the feeling of warmth; the attention of this beautiful man; and one as of yet unidentified, but felt as if it could shatter Rhett’s soul.

Rhett ran his hand through Link’s hair. As his fingers hit a small knot, Link moaned at the tug. Rhett doubled down on his grip in Link’s hair and tugged a little harder. Link gagged a bit as he bit back a moan, his head tipping back slightly. Rhett stared down into Link’s red-rimmed eyes and knew, without question, he had to take this man now.

Pulling Link off of him, Rhett lifted him to his feet and made quick work of the pants that still contained the blue-eyed man. Rhett licked a stripe on his hand before palming Link, drawing a ragged breath from him. He stroked torturously slow as he turned Link to face the desk. Bringing his other hand up, his fingers found their way into Link’s mouth, the other eagerly taking them and slicking them up with his spit. Rhett pulled both hands away from Link and gently pushed Link over the desk with his own body, reaching forward into a drawer for his emergency lube--kept there for when nights at the office went a little too long and he needed to relax. He lifted himself up, coating his fingers and quickly finding their way to Link’s hole. Rhett nosed the back of Link’s neck, and as he tentatively pushed a finger into Link, he dragged his teeth down his nape. Link moaned loudly, shuddering under Rhett’s ministrations. Apparently Rhett had hit the jackpot with the move, given the way Link’s body reacted.

Rhett continued working Link over. Along the way, Link moaned and pushed back into Rhett when he was ready for more. When Rhett would graze his bundle of nerves, Link whimpered into the desk blotter. Finally, Link pushed back and Rhett was ready to give him exactly what he argued they both needed.

Using a generous amount of the bottle’s contents and working himself over, he lined himself up and notched his way in. The sheer feeling of it overwhelmed them both as they moaned in tandem. Rhett continued his slow conquest of Link as he thrust in little by little until he was fully sheathed in Link. 

There was a moment of pause, punctuated by heavy breaths as Rhett steeled himself for what he was about to do--what he  _ wanted  _ to do. Thankfully, Link had the same feeling.

“Fuck me, Rhett,” Link said raggedly, eyeing him from his place on the desk.

Rhett worked up speed as he continued a steady rhythm of pounding into Link. Link’s hands grasped the edge of the desk as he bounced forward with every thrust. Each sound Link made spurred Rhett on faster and faster. 

“God, you feel so good. So tight. So fucking perfect,” Rhett panted. 

“Never had a dick so good. Make me feel it, Rhett. Make me yours.”

Link’s words broke something in Rhett and sent him over a primal edge. He wanted to claim Link, make him feel everything that Rhett was feeling right in that moment even if he couldn’t--or wouldn’t--articulate it. Link gasped as Rhett hit his sweet spot and his hand smacked against the desk, all the words and air leaving his body.

Rhett leaned forward, grasping Link, finding him wet and wanting. He pumped Link in rhythm with his thrusts, slicking him up with his own precum. He leaned over Link as far as he could.

“Come for me, baby. Let me hear you scream,” Rhett said as he dragged a fingernail down the nape of Link’s neck. Link did as he was told, a guttural scream ripped from his throat as he shot his load on the front of Rhett’s desk. The pulsing Rhett felt triggered his own orgasm, thrusting shallowly through the aftershocks and collapsing forward onto Link. 

Both men lay there, their panting filling the silence. Rhett took a deep breath. He’d never found himself in this position. He’d certainly never slept with a client before, no matter how enticing. But there was something about Link Neal that got under his skin in a way no one ever had and figured no one ever would again. 

He pushed himself up, and ambled his way into the little washroom. He washed himself, got dressed, and walked back out with the towel to Link, who was still sprawled on the desk, his eyes closed. Rhett pressed the towel to Link, a soft ‘oh’ escaping his kiss-plumped lips. Rhett cleaned him up, pulling Link up from the desk once finished. He tossed the towel on the desk and turned Link around, leaning him back on the desk. Stooping down, he pulled Link’s pants and underwear back up, fastening them back into place. 

Link regarded Rhett with an awestruck look as he watched the gentle giant, but worry tinged the edges. Rhett gathered Link up in his arms and held him close. A hand came up and stroked through the salt and pepper hair gently. Rhett felt Link melt into his chest at the closeness. An unspoken signal from Rhett that this was okay, and Link seemed to be relieved. 

No one was running this time. No one was a coward.


	6. Chapter 6

Both men stood there, all semblance of time lost. Rhett pressed his lips to the top of Link’s head and sighed. Link’s grip loosened at the sound and both men reluctantly pulled away from one another.   


“You ruined my shirt,” Link said, smirking up at Rhett.

“I have a spare. It’ll be a little big, but it’ll get you home without scandalizing anyone.”   


Rhett slowly dropped his hands from Link as he rounded his desk to the bottom drawer. He pulled out his extra shirt and handed it to Link, who took it gratefully. He pulled it on and both laughed at how it dwarfed his slender frame. He rolled the sleeves up his arms and buttoned it, stuffing as much of the excess in his pants as he could. Adding the suit jacket helped make him presentable again. Rhett smiled. He’d much rather see Link the way he was moments ago--wrecked by  _ his _ hand.

Nevertheless, he closed in on Link again, smoothing his lapels. His hands moved down and found their home at Link’s waist and pulled him in even closer.

“Well? How do I look?”

“You’ll do.”

Link scoffed as he pushed himself up on the balls of his feet to kiss Rhett. It was a kiss that was soft, sweet. Nothing like the impassioned kisses that had led up to this moment. It made Rhett feel light.   


Link pulled away, a faint blush gracing his features. Rhett didn’t quite know what to say. This was throwing him for a loop. Not only had he slept with a client—he’d slept with someone who he felt this crazy, deep connection with. They’d only known each other for days; there was no way this was normal. But Link was like dynamite, blasting through all of the carefully-built armor Rhett had constructed.   


“I, uh...” Rhett heard his voice coming out of his mouth, but he wasn’t sure if it was his brain or his heart in charge. “I don’t normally do this.”

“You seemed to have a pretty good grasp of the concept,” Link said. “In more ways than one.”

Rhett laughed softly. It was hard to believe this was the same guy who’d walked into his office, worried about his cousin. “No, I meant…”

Link’s eyes softened as he looked at Rhett. “I know. To be honest, neither do I. This is rather unusual for me.”

“‘Unusual’?” The fear center of Rhett’s brain flared. Unusual, to have sex with a man?   


“‘Unusual’ in that I don’t typically mix business with pleasure. ‘Unusual’ in that the pleasure has been more than pleasurable.”

“‘More than’?” Rhett hated pressing Link on this, but he was endlessly curious about him and worried about his newly exposed heart.

Link met Rhett’s eyes, searching for something. He hummed as he brought his hand to Rhett’s face.

“Maybe we can discuss it tonight? Over dinner? Would you like to join me?”

Rhett smiled as he brought his hand up to cover Link’s. “I would, but I have another lead for Chase I’d like to look into beforehand.”

Link tensed as hands dropped away. “What kind of lead?”

“Chase had friends within the Randlers too. Want to make sure they had nothing to do with it.”

“I thought the docks were Beasts’ work.”

“Chase doesn’t work at the docks anymore. He got a job at the movie theater about a month ago.”

It seemed as if that were news to Link. Rhett thought about what Link had told him when they’d first met. His eyes narrowed.

“Link,” Rhett started, hesitantly. “Did you actually  _ see _ Chase before he went missing?”

Link’s eyes went hard as he focused on Rhett. “Of course I did.” His gaze softened at the thought of it. He moved away, back toward the bulletin board. Rhett watched as Link took the map in and sighed, his shoulders falling. “He must have been lying to me then,” Link said quietly. “Maybe creating some false sense of danger to guilt me into giving him money.”

Rhett walked over to him, placing his hands on him to turn him around. As he did, he took in Link’s face–a long pull of sorrow ghosted his features.   


“I should have been better to him. I should have tried to figure out a way to help him,” Link said, tears gathering. Rhett pulled him in closer as he cried.

Once the crying subsided, Rhett pulled away and dragged his thumbs over the tear tracks on Link’s face. “I’ll find him. I promise.” He pressed an insistent kiss to Link’s forehead and broke away to put his jacket on. “Let me talk to Davin and I’ll meet you at your place for dinner, okay?”

Link stood there for a second longer before gathering himself. He wiped his face and sniffed.   


“Okay.”

* * *

Rhett walked to the theater where Chase worked. He knew Davin was also a big movie guy, so he figured this is where they met most of the time. Rhett’s thoughts turned to what he knew and didn’t know about the man he was tracking down. Davin was someone who Rhett believed to be fairly high-ranking in the Randler crowd. If Rhett didn’t know any better, he’d say he was the primary numbers guy. But were movies the only thing he had in common with Chase?

Rhett paid for his ticket and walked in, peeking in to each theater to see which one might have Davin. Sure enough, theater three held just the man he was looking for.

He moseyed down the aisle and sat in the row just behind Davin. He could see Davin’s shift in demeanor; he sat up just a little straighter and looked down into his popcorn, as if there he could find easy answers to give Rhett.

Rhett settled into the seat and leaned forward, effectively crowding Davin on his right.   


“Evening, Davin.”

“Rhett. What do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m looking for someone and I’m told you might be the man to point me in the right direction. Chase Hilt. You know him?”

An imperceptible hitch in Davin’s breath told Rhett he did.   


“No,” Davin’s small voice said.

Rhett’s lip stuck out in exaggerated acquiescence. “Okay,” Rhett said. “Did I mention the fingers point at  _ you _ as the last person to see him?”

Davin’s head whipped around to face Rhett fully for the first time. And—for the first time with anyone he’d spoken to about Chase—Rhett noticed terror in the man’s eyes at the insinuation.   


“I don’t get my hands dirty like that. And there’s no way that the Randlers would take Chase. Period.”

Rhett’s curiosity was piqued. “Why specifically the Randlers, Davin?”

Davin’s eyes went wide and he quickly glanced back down into his popcorn. This was the first person who genuinely seemed to be giving Rhett the direction he needed, and Rhett was getting angry at the hesitation. He slowly placed his hand on Davin’s left shoulder and gave a firm, tight squeeze.

“Listen very carefully, Davin. I need to find Chase. I’d prefer to find him alive. He’s been missing for days now. Why,” he said as he maintained a tight hold, “wouldn’t the Randlers take him?”

Davin gasped at the pressure on his shoulder. Rhett could tell he wasn’t used to being interrogated like this.

“Fine. I last saw him leaving Punch’s office.”   
  
“When?”

“Early this week. I don’t know what they were talking about,” Davin said. He turned quickly, surprising Rhett. “Listen, you need to find him.”

“Why?”

“You just do. It’ll be best for everyone if you do.” Davin’s face was pale as he hastily stood and dashed down the row. Stunned momentarily, Rhett got up and tried to give chase, but banged his knee on an armrest, cursing his recent injuries. As he got out to the street and his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized Davin was long gone.

“Fuck,” he muttered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for leaving kudos and comments! They're deeply appreciated.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I love y'all and deeply appreciate your comments on the last chapters--here you go!

Rhett walked up to Link’s door and knocked. He sighed heavily at how much the afternoon had given him whiplash. First, he was riding the high of fucking an absolute beauty of a man, and then it felt like he was back at square one with this case.

Rhett knocked again after there was no answer. With still no response, he tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. He pushed the door open slowly, searching for a sign of Link. There was none.

“Link?” Rhett called out, willing his heartbeat to slow. The bottom wasn’t falling out yet. It couldn’t.

“Shit! In here!”

Rhett heard the noise faintly and moved toward it. As he did, he realized there was a burning smell in the air.

He pushed through a door to find Link standing in the middle of a kitchen, in which it looked like a bomb had gone off. Dirty dishes were everywhere and smoke filled the room. The oven door hung open and a disheveled Link was fanning wildly. Rhett strode over to the window above the sink and opened it to let a little fresh air in.

“What happened?” he asked, starting to fan the air himself.

“I was trying to make us dinner!” Link said, the frustration evident in his tone. As the smoke finally dissipated, he threw down the potholders and placed his hands on his hips. Rhett took in his appearance with a small smile. His hair had fallen over on his forehead and his glasses had found their way down his nose, resting at just the midpoint. He had obviously put an undershirt on when he had gotten home. His arms flexed as he took in the mess. Rhett shook himself from his thoughts. He was falling hard.

“Hey,” he said. Link looked at him and pushed his glasses back up. “Why don’t we go out to eat?”

“I guess we have to. Let me get cleaned up.”

Link went to move past Rhett, but was stopped with a grasp on his forearm. Rhett pulled him back and kissed him.

“What was that for?” Link asked breathlessly as they separated, and Rhett let him go.

“The thought,” Rhett smirked. Link smiled as he headed upstairs to change.

* * *

Both men left Link’s unsure of where to go to dinner, so they walked. As they walked, suggestions were made and shot down. The last suggestion was Rhett’s. A hopeful shot in the dark.

“What about The Greasy Spork?”

Link made a face. “I don’t want to go to that dive.”

“It’s not a dive,” Rhett said, a tad defensive. “Besides, I wasn’t kidding about the peach cobbler. It’s delicious.”

Link looked apprehensive, but they found themselves walking in that direction. As they approached, Rhett saw Josh walking their way, a bag of groceries in his hands.

“Hey, Josh,” Rhett called out. Josh looked up and Rhett could sense the man tense as he approached.

“Hey, boss. What are you doing here? Have you found Chase?” Josh asked, his eyes decidedly focused on Rhett.

“I haven’t, but I have an idea what might have happened.”

“Chase is still missing. Shouldn’t you be following your idea, then?” Josh said, hostility evident.

“He’s working on it,” Link snapped. Rhett looked over at him, a little surprised. “A man still has to eat, doesn’t he?”

Josh turned to Link for the first time, fury rolling off of him in waves.

“He’s your cousin. Why aren’t you more concerned? Oh. Wait. You never were, when it came to Chase.”

“Listen, I don’t know who you think you are, but—” Link started, ready to square off with Josh, but the other man beat him to the punch.

“I’ll tell you exactly who I am since you don’t seem to care one bit for Chase. I’m the one who comforts him when he’s sad and I’m the one who makes sure a damn smile is on his face at all times. I’m the one who loves him. You might be blood, but at least Chase can trust me.”

Rhett had never seen Josh lose his cool before. He looked between the men, both ready to strike.

Suddenly, Link relaxed his shoulders and stepped back.

“I’m sorry,” Link said, clearing his throat and straightening his jacket. “I can’t say that you’re entirely wrong, but I do care about Chase. I cared enough to hire Rhett to find him.” Josh’s eyes narrowed, but Link pressed on. “I realize that any friend of Chase’s isn’t interested in being friends with me, but please, it’s been a hard week. I am worried about him. And I firmly believe Rhett will do as he says.”

Josh seemed struck by his words, but not more so than Rhett. To have Link voice aloud his confidence in Rhett spoke volumes, in his mind. And especially his heart.

Josh sighed. “Come on in. We’ll get you something.”

Rhett and Link followed Josh into the diner, all three silent. Josh walked around the counter to the kitchen. Link grabbed Rhett’s arm before the taller man could continue to whatever destination.

“Can we just get whatever to go? Please?” Link whispered. He looked beaten down and Rhett wanted nothing more than to hold him.

“Absolutely. What do you want?” Rhett whispered back.

“Whatever. I just don’t like tomato.”

Rhett walked to the counter, Link following silently. He ordered two cheeseburgers, no tomatoes; fries and peach cobbler. He kept his order the same as Link’s. He didn’t want to think Josh might spit in the food, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

Rhett looked around the room. A few Beasts were laughing up a storm in one corner, other patrons peppering the booths throughout. On the other side of the diner was Kevin, another known Randler. Rhett always thought Kevin seemed to be too jittery for gang life, but the man sitting in the booth looked like he’d had about ten cups of coffee. He was positively jumpy. Rhett noticed he kept looking over at him, then at the Beasts.

Rhett narrowed his eyes. Was Rhett making him nervous? Could Davin have reported back about Chase already? Did Kevin know something?

Kevin got up suddenly, knocking over his drink. He cursed under his breath as Jordan came over with a towel to wipe up. Kevin apologized and skittered his way to the door, shooting a glance Rhett’s way before going out into the dark night. Rhett looked at Link, who seemed to be staring into space. He’d have to find Kevin… later. The appeal of the man in front of him was too addicting.

“Hey,” Rhett said, shaking Link’s shoulder. “You okay?”

Link looked at Rhett in a daze and smiled softly. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Emily brought the food around and Rhett paid her; no more free meals from Josh, but that didn’t bother him. Rhett grabbed the bag and ushered Link back outside.

“Link?” Rhett asked softly. Link turned to him. “Do you want to go back to my place?”

Link smiled. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”

They walked in silence, Rhett’s hand bumping Link’s intentionally. The hope was that it would keep Link grounded in the here-and-now rather than retreated into his own head.

They made their way into Rhett’s apartment, Rhett tossing the bag of food on the counter. He guided Link over to his chair, sitting down and pulling Link into his lap. Link pulled himself into a ball as Rhett wrapped one arm around Link’s waist and stroked salt and pepper hair with the other.

Rhett reveled in the warmth radiating from Link in his lap. He knew he was falling fast and hard, but there was something about Link that made Rhett want to cast aside his worries and doubts and let him be led down whatever path Link took him.

It had been a long time since Rhett felt this way, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Link ever felt this way. Despite the prickly, standoffish demeanor, Link was funny, charismatic and seemed to be protective of people he cared about.

“You want to talk about it?” Rhett asked after a while.

Link let out a shaky sigh. “You were right,” he said. “I never gave much thought to Chase’s friends. I just thought he hung with a bad crowd. Turns out, at least someone cares for him deeply. No one’s ever cared for me like that.”

Rhett squeezed him and brought his lips to Link’s temple, brushing a feather-light kiss there. He wasn’t sure how to say the words, but he knew he was well on his way to caring about Link ‘like that’.

He might as well just show him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just smut. Enjoy.

Rhett held Link a little longer before gesturing for him to stand. Rhett followed suit and walked over to his record player, thumbing through the albums. Settling on just the right one, he pulled it from the sleeve and set it on the turntable. Flicking switches and pushing buttons, a jazz number filled the room. 

Rhett returned to Link, who was still standing there, unsure of what to do next. Rhett shed his jacket and tie, tossing them on the chair.

“No country tonight?” Link asked, following suit. Rhett smirked as his hands slotted naturally on Link’s body: one on his waist, the other in his hand.

“Not tonight,” he said softly.  


They swayed together as the music wrapped them up, cocooning them from the world outside. As the song faded out, Rhett stopped and took Link’s face in his hands. His gaze sweeping over the features that captivated him from the moment he saw them, he leaned down and placed a chaste, sweet kiss on the lips that haunted his thoughts.

Rhett began a slow seduction of Link, kissing his face and gingerly holding him as though he were a porcelain doll about to break. Link attempted to wrest control of the situation from Rhett, placing his hands back on his face and pulling him in. But instead, he was met with gentle eyes and a calm but stern hold on his wrists.

“No,” Rhett said firmly as he walked Link back toward his bed. He stopped as Link’s legs hit the side, but kept the smaller man standing. He mouthed at Link’s neck as he undid each button of his shirt, pleasantly surprised that Link’s undershirt from before was gone and he had direct access to his well-toned chest. He could feel Link’s arms come around him, undoing the cufflinks at his wrists and dropping them on the side table. He hummed in appreciation at the juncture of Link’s neck as he licked a thin stripe down sharp collarbones. 

Link let out a soft whimper, his body shaking under the attention. Rhett smirked as he continued his slow conquest. His hands came to Link’s belt and pants, making quick work of their fastenings. He dragged his fingers back up and across Link’s belly before he firmly grasped his waist, feeling as though his hands were made for this body--everywhere Rhett found his hands, his lips, his arms, it was as if Link had been perfectly molded to fit the planes and lines of Rhett. It was intoxicating. 

He turned Link and pulled at his shirt, enraptured by the display of perfect flesh exposed to him as the shirt came off. He drew a ragged breath while his fingertips lightly dragged down Link’s back. Link shivered under the touch, but said nothing. Rhett placed small kisses along Link’s shoulders, feeling his muscle underneath. 

A thought occurred, that he’d never quite seduced anyone in this way. Sex was always something to take an edge off rather than to feel a deep, emotional connection--too frightened of who he was and how he loved to let it consume him. But here, with Link, as he felt the urge to fold himself in on the man in front of him, he could see what all the fuss was about.

Rhett dropped to his knees behind Link and tongued at the dimples on his lower back. As he did, he slowly pulled Link’s pants and underwear down, revealing a beautifully rounded peach of an ass that Rhett wanted to sink his teeth into.

So he did.

Link let out a sharp cry, followed quickly by a groan as his knees buckled. He leaned forward, arms bracing on the bed as he regained his balance. Rhett smoothed his hands down Link’s legs, continuing to push his pants and underwear off along with his socks and garters so Link could step out of them.

Rhett breathed deeply and took in the naked man in front of him; the toned arms supporting him on the bed, the calf muscles tightened from the position, and the look of sheer, wanton lust on Link’s face when he cast a glance back at Rhett seized his heart with affection and complete desire. He stood, pawing at his own buttons, urgency coursing through his veins. 

Hands landed on his as he looked up into eyes that were blue as ice yet held so much fire. Link steadied Rhett’s hands and pulled them away, taking lead in their dance and unbuttoning Rhett’s shirt. He pushed it off of Rhett’s shoulders, his hands immediately flying to rub them as if he were pushing the weight of the world off of them at the same time. His hands slid down and grasped the hem of Rhett’s undershirt and whipped it off, dropping it to the floor. His fingers danced around Rhett’s chest, never settling too long and leaving light grazes that set Rhett aflame. 

Rhett had never felt such tenderness and affection before, drunk on every touch Link gave him. His addiction to Link was hitting new highs he never thought possible.

Rhett undid his own pants and removed them along with the rest of his undergarments swiftly, the urgency rising again at the idea of being pressed against Link, no barriers between. Once that was done, they were both eager to be in the arms of the other, and wasted no time in doing so. Just the simple act of holding Link brought Rhett a sense of calm and belonging--something he never thought he’d be able to feel. He pulled back once more and kissed Link with no reservations, no hesitation. Pouring everything he ever was, is, and could be into a kiss of promise that Link could have--to show him that he was a man worth caring about and Rhett was more than willing for the task.

Link twirled them around without breaking the kiss and pushed Rhett onto the bed, climbing up to straddle him and keep him in place. He loomed reverent above Rhett, taking in the gentle giant’s features and looking as if he was trying to figure out some mystery of his own. A small smile sprouted on his face and he leaned down, kissing Rhett once more.

“I want you, Rhett,” Link whispered as he moved to take Rhett’s earlobe between his teeth. “Please.”

“In the drawer,” Rhett rasped, pushing to sit up. Link scrambled over and pulled at the drawer, fishing the bottle of lube out. He handed it to Rhett who poured a generous amount on his fingers and reached around Link to his destination. He felt transfixed by Link’s eyes as he made contact with Link’s pucker and relished the way his eyelids fluttered shut at the contact. Working his way inside, he pulled in and out to get Link ready, eventually adding another finger. But he didn’t want to wait much longer. He needed Link.

He pushed Link off of him, a sound of displeasure coming from Link before the realization hit that Rhett was just rearranging them so that his back was against the pillows and headboard. He remained in a seated position as he pulled Link back over him and coated his cock in even more lube. 

“I want to see you, baby,” Rhett said, as he lined himself up with Link. “I want to see your face as I give you what you deserve.” With that, Rhett notched his way into Link as slowly and tenderly as he could. As he bottomed out, a sigh of contentment bloomed from both men. Rhett was overwhelmed by emotions that threatened to spill forth. So he moved. 

Thrusting shallowly, keeping his hands on Link’s waist helped Link move as well. The music had ceased by this point and the melody of the men’s breathing, gasps, and groans swelled to a symphony as they moved together. Rhett dragged his hand against Link’s body and grasped his cock, slowly pumping in time to the rhythm. 

Neither men spoke as they chased their climaxes, but Rhett could feel as if he knew exactly what Link wanted, needed, desired. As their movements crescendoed, Rhett found him looking back at Link. His orgasm crashed over him as he plunged below the ocean of Link’s eyes and the warmth of Link’s own orgasm painting his chest.

Link collapsed onto him, a sob breaking through. Of tears, of relief, Rhett wasn’t sure. But if Link had even felt one bit of the catharsis Rhett did in that moment, everything was going to be all right for both of them. Rhett pulled Link in tighter, and realized he let out his own sob as tears flowed freely between the two men. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping to get two chapters out a week. Wish me luck.
> 
> Undying love and devotion to Mike for beta-ing this monster. Love you, Snowflake.


End file.
